Airbnb - Get a AUD $100 Bonus When You Host Your First Trip in Melbourne VIC

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Go to Deal

Associatedxdiep on 07/07/2016 - 11:52 host.withairbnb.com (122 clicks)
Last edited 08/07/2016 - 09:29 by 2 other users

Have just signed on as an Airbnb Air Ambassador for a Melbourne-based (as well as a few other cities globally) trial ending Aug-16.

Terms:

• Offer valid only for new Airbnb listings in Melbourne only (and not previously activated or duplicated from another Airbnb listing)
• New listing is created by new Hosts between 14th June, 2016 and 31st August, 2016 who has never hosted on Airbnb previously
• New Listing must be priced at AUD75 or more per night, excluding cleaning fees and taxes after signing up with the link above
• Complete the Verified ID process
• Accept at least one reservation for the New Listing, priced at AUD75 or more per night, excluding cleaning fees and taxes, by August 31, 2016 (a “Qualifying Reservation”)
• Complete at least one Qualifying Reservation that begins on or prior to October 31, 2016

Still umming and aahing about hosting? After being the host for a couple dozen guests over the last 6 months at an apartment with an Epic Location next to Queen Victoria Market I think I'm getting the hang of things. Feel free to ask me anything in the comments below, and i'll do my best to share whatever knowledge/experience I've picked up along the way.

Ready to become a host?

Make sure to use this link. If you sign up any other way, you will miss out on the AUD $100 referral bonus. Sign Me Up

Alternatively, get $40 AUD when you take you first Airbnb trip of $100 AUD or more with my personal referral link. Much appreciated :)

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  singlemalt72 on 07/07/2016 - 13:56

  Can you add Airbnb to the title?

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    Associatedxdiep @ withairbnb.com on 07/07/2016 - 18:25

    Sorry mate - my bad. Read the final draft over and over to ensure it was compliant to ozbargain's rules and doesn't surprise me at all to overlook the most obvious.

    Thanks moderator for the edit.

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  YellowEarthAustralia on 07/07/2016 - 16:01

  Interesting,
  I have a spare bedroom in my apartment in Docklands.
  Have been thinking about renting out the bedroom on Airbnb, however I'm still not 100% convinced…

  I'm worried about:

  • Coming home from work and just wanting to relax on the couch - but there's a stranger there.
  • Security of personal belongings.
  • Damage or even scratching of my furniture/timber floorboards
  • I have been told a friend's friend was renting out a room on Airbnb, and their marble kitchen bench had a couple of chip marks which definitely did not come from the host. Airbnb couldn't do much.

  I had a look on Airbnb, and the same bedroom in the same building on a floor lower than mine rents out for $110/night + which definitely sounds attractive.

  What would say about my concerns?

  • 

    Associatedxdiep @ withairbnb.com on 07/07/2016 - 19:01

    Yep - I feel ya about the stranger part. So my thoughts are:

    Coming home from work and just wanting to relax on the couch - but there's a stranger there.
    ** From the interactions of all 28 of the guests that've stayed at my apt, every single one of them has been warm and treated my place like their own. Not only that but you see a trend in the type of people who use that service - they all are easy going, technologically minded people who all have different stories to tell, but all are happy to tell it. Otherwise they wouldn't be using Airbnb to be quite honest and would likely book a hotel instead. Having been an Uber driver as well, it's a very similar customer base - it's like me driving friends around; people who aren't like that wouldn't typically use that type of service.

    From a booking process point of view, there are 3 settings in which you can accept bookings:
    1. Instant book - anyone who wants to stay can make a reservation. While you'll get the most guests this way, you won't have control over who stays and who doesn't.
    2. Only positives can instant book (my preference) - Only guests with 1 or more positive reviews can instant book, otherwise I have to approve them on a case by case basis.
    3. You have to approve every enquiry - Probably best suited for your place as you have the opportunity to ask them questions about who they are, what they're about, and if and only if you have a good feeling about them will you be willing to accept their cash in return for accommodation.

    The other side of the argument is what do you have most to look forward to if you were to come home, and relax by having a conversation and sharing a feed with a stranger while you exchange war stories on life?

    Security of personal belongings.
    ** If you have jewellery artwork or collectables, I would get seperate contents insurance for them. In terms of electronics and other $1K+ items, if you have a receipt and the guest breaks it, airbnb (pending their approval) will reimburse for the cost of the item. After the guest leaves, Airbnb continues holding onto their security deposit for 48 hours in which you have the opportunity to make a claim should anything arise. Have more expensive goods? Have a higher deposit for peace of mind. In my experience the only things to have gone wrong is a broken kettle switch, in which it was plastic clips which I fixed by pushing it back in, and guests forgetting to return their 'loan' Myki cards. Both cases, they apologised profusely as they thought it was free and had topped up a higher amount. Both cases they paid me via a direct deposit and I didn't need to engage Airbnb at all. You'll find that 99% of the cases guests will actually treat the items better than you would. But then again I don't know 99% of the guests, nor do I know how well you treat your items. All I know is from my limited experience, guests aren't reckless in how they treat your belongings.

    Damage or even scratching of my furniture/timber floorboards.
    ** The apartment is tiles in the kitchen and carpet. So can't really comment. They have spilt coffee on the carpet, which annoyed me at first and I was in two minds about making a claim on their deposit for 'carpet cleaning' bills as this may be detriment to them leaving me a positive review. I let it go as my logic is that if they leave me a less than stellar review as a result of me claiming on the dirty carpet, it would cost me longer in the long run with potential guests booking somewhere else after reading that said review. My thoughts - fair wear and tear is bound to happen, but you'll get more income as a result, so you can get new furniture when it's written off, and/or polish the floorboards again with all the cash you've made from all the guests scratching the floorboards.

    Most guests do have luggage, so that'll impact your floorboards quicker than normal I'd say. But that's a good problem to have in my opinion. Or you can be proactive and get a hallway runner for the high traffic areas.

    I have been told a friend's friend was renting out a room on Airbnb, and their marble kitchen bench had a couple of chip marks which definitely did not come from the host. Airbnb couldn't do much.
    ** Per my earlier comment, airbnb will only reimburse you as long as you have a receipt on the repair/replacement. You also need to prove as well that it was the guest who chipped it. I think the marble kitchen bench would've been hard to pinpoint who it was and it'd be hard to justify replacing a kitchen bench because of a single chip. It'd be similar to if the guest dropped their luggage bag accidentally onto your car and scratched the bumper. If you weren't there to see it happen, but you knew the scratch wasn't there beforehand, and no one else had access to the garage except that guest, how would you prove it? And, it'd be unreasonable to expect airbnb to reimburse the cost of respraying the bumper as a result of a scratch, from your guest, allegedly.

    TL;DR. Those concerns aren't the norm. Set the reservation process to require your approval for all enquiries, and take it one guest at a time. If you're concerned, set a higher security deposit. And only approve after chatting with potential guests and seeing if they're alright. Most are, in my experience.

    Anything else please ask! Tone